S.H. Figuarts King Joe STORAGE Custom

This week I received S.H. Figuarts King Joe STORAGE Custom. This was the robot that was made from the parts of King Joe by the STORAGE team in Ultraman Z. They used him to aid in their battles, in addition to Sevenger and Windam.

The first thing I noticed about the figure is how light he feels, much more so than other robot figures that Tamashii Nations have released. The others have felt heavier and more solid. Despite that, he’s sturdy and also nicely detailed and painted. His color scheme is a combination of off white, black, gold, a little red and translucent blue on his chest and head. His right arm is a gun cannon (called Pedanium Particle Cannon), and the only accessory included is an alternate left arm that can unfold and extend forward, for his punching attack. It’s easy to switch, you simply pop it out of the socket and pop the other back in. The claws on that arm are interchangeable, one being molded in a fist, the other with 3 articulated fingers.

For his articulation, his shoulders are on ball joints that can turn fully around and bend a bit to the sides. His elbows, thighs and knees are on ball joints that can bend in and out to the sides a bit. His “skirt” parts on the front and back clip into his body and can move out to help a bit with the leg movement. His cannon has a hinge that can turn inward and outward for extra range. And his “ankles” are also ball jointed with a slight hinge. And finally, his punching arm can unfold at 2 spots, to extend it out far. His open claw has hinged fingers that can be posed in open or closed positions for grasping. He has no waist or head articulation. You can get some types of poses, but for the most part he’s a stiff machine.

The figure is decent, despite only coming with an interchangeable arm. He’s the latest in the Ultraman Z line to be released. They had teased Windam last year, but so far, no news on a release date. I own 2 Sevengers and both original and Alpha Edge forms of Z himself, so this STORAGE Custom adds to my Z collection.

King Joe STORAGE Custom is a decent release from S.H. Figuarts. The robot definitely has its charm, and the bright colors help it to stand out amid the sea of shiny silver mechas in my collection. The extendable arm and articulated fingers are a fun touch that help to elevate him above standard robot action figures.

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